11.17am: Now that the search-and-rescue teams trying to find survivors in the wreck of the Costa Concordia have signalled that the operation is moving into the "recovery" stage, there is growing concern about the environmental impact that the half-submerged ship might have on the local coastline.

Sergio Ortelli, the mayor of the small Tuscan island of Giglio where the cruise ship grounded last Friday, said on Monday that "this is an ecological timebomb". The area is a well-known tourist destination where diving is a popular past-time. One diving website describes the waters off Giglio as "one of the most beautiful and fascinating" diving sites in the Mediterranean. With an estimated 2,380 tonnes of fuel on board, the race is now on to secure the ship it is believed to have slipped on the seabed on Monday from a ledge 15-20 metres under the surface towards a far deeper channel and prevent any fuel or other pollutants from escaping.

Booms have already been placed on the surface around the stricken ship to try to minimise the damage caused by any fuel spills and the local coastguard has already instructed Costa Crociere, the ship's owner, to remove the ship. Smit, a Dutch salvage firm, has been hired to remove the fuel from the 114,500-tonne ship and has said it will start the procedure "within days".

Agence France-Presse has more details:

A representative from US-based Titan Salvage said the [Smit] contract could run into the millions of euros.
"They've been phenomenally lucky there's been no spill. If the hole in the hull had been four or five metres further along it would have punctured the tanks," he said.
"It's very close to the edge of much deeper water," said the man, explaining that the waves could push it off its resting place and it could sink entirely.
The fuel pumped out of the ship will be replaced by water in the tanks to ensure that the ship remained stable in a practice known as "hot tapping".
[Italy's] environment Minister Corrado Clini meanwhile said that the environmental risk has been "our nightmare."
"The vessel has reservoirs full of fuel, it is a heavy diesel which could sink down to the seabed, that would be a disaster," he said.
In a worst-case scenario, the fuel could "leak into the sea, contaminating an exceptional coastline and affecting marine and bird life," he warned.
"We are ready to intervene if there is a spill," Clini said. "As soon as possible, the fuel will be removed from the vessel. But we have to take into account the precarious state of the ship."

Pier Luigi Foschi, Costa Crociere's chairman, told the media on Monday that, once the fuel was removed, the plan was to refloat the ship then tow it away for possible repairs and reuse. But, he added, if that fails then the ship would have to be cut up for scrap, a process that could take months, even years, as proved the case (admittedly, a very different scenario) with the salvage of the MSC Napoli off the Dorset coast in 2007.

Incidents such as this are exceptionally rare for the cruise industry and they each bring with them very specific environmental risks, according to the precise nature of the incident. The industry has had to deal with fires, collisions and groundings on a number of occasions over the years, but the last complete sinking of a cruise ship was in 1991 when the MTS Oceanos went down off the coast of Durban, South Africa. But the more recent tale of the MS Sea Diamond, which came to grief off the Greek island of Santorini in 2007, perhaps provides the best insight into what might become of the Costa Concordia. The wreck is still there today following squabbles about the cost of removing it

A wider question for the industry is one I spent time investigating in 2006 for my book The Final Call, which examined the environmental impact of various forms of tourism around the world: does the cruise industry have as benign an impact on the environment as it claims it does? Cruise ships, as you might expect, seek out areas of outstanding beauty Alaska, the Caribbean, Antarctica, etc but each of these locations host vulnerable marine habitats. What, for example, is the impact when these ships dispose of their sewage, bilge water and other associated waste materials into those waters?

The industry is meant to adhere to the rules set down by the MARPOL convention, which prevents any kind of dumping within three nautical miles of a coastline. But the US authorities, in particular, have prosecuted and fined cruise companies for illegally discharging waste into its waters. And there has long been an attempt to get the Clean Cruise Ship Act through Congress, which would prohibit the dumping of "sewage sludge, incinerator ash, and hazardous waste" within 200 nautical miles of the US coastline.

And what of the air pollution emitted by cruise ships? MARPOL sets limits on sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from ships, but the campaign group Oceana, which has long tried to highlight the environmental damage caused by the cruise industry, claims (pdf) that "the average cruise ship with 3,000 passengers and crew generates and air pollutants equivalent to 12,000 automobiles every day".

But what are your own thoughts, experiences and conclusions? If quoting figures to support your points, please provide a link to the source. And I will also be inviting various interested parties to join the debate, too. Later on today, I will return with my own verdict.

11.38am: Smit's website has a pdf (pg 4 onwards) document describing some of salvage operations it has carried out around the world in recent years.

One technique for re-floating a stricken ship is called "parbuckling". This time-lapse video shows how Smit used this technique when salvaging a ship called MV Rocknes off the Norwegian coast.

12.19pm: Cruise Lines International Association, the world's largest cruise association, states on its website that the industry is "committed to protecting the fragile natural environments in which we operate and we have a strong record of developing and implementing sound environment practices".

On the question of reducing air emissions, it states:

The cruise line industry has committed significant financial resources to developing and implementing new technologies that will further enhance performance. These include:
* Alternative fuel options
* Testing and applying alternative/renewable energy options (such as solar panels and onboard wind turbines)
* "Slick" hull coatings (which reduce ship drag and thus also reduce fuel usage and emissions)
* Interceptor plates (designed to "lift" the aft-body of the ship which reduces propulsion power demand and energy consumption) and "duck tails" (lengthening of the aft ship, reducing resistance, propulsion power demand, and energy consumption)
* Window coatings (which prevent the sun's heat from penetrating glass, thus reducing air conditioning needs and saving energy)
* Water use minimization (low flow showers and faucets, next generation icemakers, vacuum toilets, etc.)

On the question of wastewater, it states:

Many lines are at various stages in employing advanced wastewater purification systems (AWPS) onboard their ships. These AWPS produce an effluent that is cleaner than that discharged from most municipalities. Cruise lines have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the research, development, testing and application of these systems onboard many of our ships. Any blackwater or graywater (water from accommodation sinks and showers, laundry and galleys) discharged in U.S. waters by CLIA's oceangoing fleet is treated by an AWPS in accordance with industry protocols. Beyond U.S. waters, and anywhere else our ships sail, in accordance with CLIA's Waste Management Practices and Procedures, member cruise lines treat all blackwater through a Type II Marine Sanitation Device (approved by the U.S. Coast Guard for all vessels in U.S. ports) or an AWPS.

12.35pm: Tom Geoghegan has posted an analysis of "what will happen to the 450-million-euro (372m) vessel?" on the BBC News website...

"It's possible, with small areas of damage, to prefabricate a [steel] patch and put it into place," says Dawn Gorman, editor of the magazine, International Tug & OSV.
"But whether that's possible with damage this size, we don't know."
If it could be patched up, the next step would be to pump the water out and stabilise it, a very lengthy process, says Ms Gorman.
"But there's no point pumping the water out unless the damage has been patched up, and that's a big hole.
"It may be the ship isn't salvageable and it isn't possible to right it, patch it up and send it on its way, because fundamental damage has been done."
Last month the container ship Rena broke in two near New Zealand, after constant battering by the ocean, three months after it ran aground.
That's unlikely to happen to the Costa Concordia, says Mr Lacey.
"Rena was in a very exposed position so she got smashed up, but you won't get metal fatigue in this case. There isn't a huge fetch [the length of sea over which a wind blows] so she won't start rusting any time soon."

On the question of recovering the ship for re-use, the odds seem long:

"There's every possibility that it could be salvaged but it's going to be a very tricky salvage operation," says Richard Meade of Lloyd's List, a leading daily newspaper for the maritime industry.
"I think the likelihood is that this is going to be declared a total loss."

1.32pm: I have just got off the phone to Mike Lacey, secretary general of the International Salvage Union, who explained more about how the salvage operation for the Costa Concordia is likely to proceed. He told me:

A series of detailed surveys will be under way already. It's clear that there has been extensive damage on the port side, but we have no idea yet what state the starboard side is in. She is laying on rocks, which will cause extensive damage.

The priority, though, is getting the diesel fuel off. It won't all be in one tank, but at least one of the tanks could be deep in the ship's "double bottom". De-fuelling is not an unusual operation. It is done frequently. They will first need to drill into the tanks and get pumps in. They will then need something to pump the fuel into, possibly local barges, but more likely a specialist ship that will be brought in for the task. But they're dealing with diesel which is not as bad [environmentally] as crude oil or heavy fuel. If any is spilled or escapes, lots of it will evaporate. Once they start, it would take several days to remove the fuel. Booms will be used to minimise the damage, but the potential use of chemical dispersants is dependent on whether Italy allows their use. Some countries have banned them.

They will be trying to work out already if it can be righted. The Herald of Free Enterprise was refloated in 1987, but that was a quarter of the size and was laying on sand. This operation will be a lot more complicated. It will be immensely difficult to stop it slipping into deeper water, if this became a possibility. Massive wires could be secured to the shore, but that would be extremely hard to do. Refloating the ship just might not be possible. They would also need to get her watertight first.

2.35pm: Cruise Laws News hosts a page rounding up examples it finds in the news reporting pollution incidents related to cruise ships.

It includes a story from last year, first reported in Hawaii News Now, of the discovery of a rubbish dump in Kapolei in which a campaign group called EnviroWatch claimed it found "dozens of large plastic bags filled to the brim" left by a cruise company.

3.49pm: I have received a statement from William Gibbons, director of the Passenger Shipping Association, which represents cruise and ferry companies operating in the UK:

Figures released in October 2011 by the Passenger Shipping Association indicate that an estimated 1.73 million passengers will take a cruise holiday this year, an increase of just over one per cent on 2011's figure of 1.71 million passengers. Globally, there are more than 20 million cruise passengers annually.

We would like to reassure other cruise passengers that PSA member cruise companies operate to the highest standards around the world and according to national maritime requirements.

Cruise lines over the past two decades have maintained amongst the highest safety records in the travel industry. Incidents such as this one are an extremely rare occurrence in the cruise industry, and cruising continues to be one of safest means of travel among all types of vacationing.

4.29pm: I have received the following comment from Paul de Zylva, Friends of the Earth's senior nature campaigner:

The stricken Costa Concordia cruise liner currently poses huge risk to the environment. It's lying in a protected marine park with a full tank of fuel that could leak into the sea at any minute. The fuel is one step from crude oil so it's dirty, heavy and sticky - a spill would be hard to clean up.

The risk to the Med is growing as cruise liners cash in on the European market, while opposing tougher environmental standards worldwide. The industry is responsible for air pollution at sea, and its contribution to climate change is on the rise.

Meanwhile, the push for large port developments in Britain such as at Dibden Bay near Southampton pose a threat to wildlife in nearby Special Areas of Conservation. Invasive species like the Chinese Mitten Crab and American Crayfish already dominate many British waterways, and tiny scorpions have been spotted near Harwich in Essex - brought into Britain via containers and ballast water on ships that gets pumped out when a ship comes into port. The Environment Agency estimates that dealing with these and other non-native invasive species in England and Wales costs our economy 1.7 billion per year.

We need better control of ship routes, and restrictions on releasing ballast water. But the top priority for reducing the environmental impact of shipping is switching to cleaner fuels. With fossil fuel bills soaring, we need a sea change in our use of renewable power. Just as cars can run on cleaner fuels, the shipping industry should explore new oils as well as the potential for harnessing wind and solar power - this could help cut costs and tackle climate change.

In addition, Friends of the Earth in the US hosts a website section dealing specifically with the environmental impact of cruise ships:

Cruise ships the size of small cities ply the waters off our coasts, producing and then dumping large amounts of sewage and other wastes into our oceans, polluting our beaches, contaminating our coral reefs, and destroying our valuable marine ecology. Some of that waste is treated prior to dumping; other waste is dumped directly to the ocean without a second thought. A large cruise ship, the largest of which can carry over 7,000 passengers and crew, on a one week voyage is estimated to generate 210,000 gallons (or 10 backyard swimming pools) of human sewage and 1 million gallons (40 more swimming pools) of graywater (water from sinks, baths, showers, laundry and galleys). Cruise ships also generate large volumes of oily bilge water, sewage sludge, garbage and hazardous wastes. In addition, these luxury liners, which allow passengers a rare glimpse of some of the most sensitive environments on the planet, spew a range of pollutants into the air that can lead to serious public health problems and contribute to global warming.

The rapidly expanding size and number of cruise ships in U.S. waters has triggered a national cruise ship pollution crisis. Environmental laws have not kept pace with growth of the industry. Cruise lines travel the most pristine waters of America, dumping all the way. New laws and standards are urgently needed.

5.11pm: I have received the following comment from Paul Wright, associate director and lecturer in ship and port operations at Plymouth University's Marine Institute:

Following the saving of life, ensuring the protection of the environment is the next priority. The discharge of bunkers can be done successfully without undue environmental pollution as was the case when the MSC Napoli was deliberately grounded in Lyme Bay, Devon some 5 years ago.

The biggest problem is the weather. In the case of the MSC Napoli, it was fortunate that there was a calm weather window which allowed the successful recovery of bunkers. Also, the MSC Napoli was upright with decks above water. A similar situation existed with the MV Rena which in October grounded on a reef in New Zealand. The bulk of her bunkers were also successfully recovered and major pollution avoided.

Lying on her side and largely underwater, recovering bunkers from the Costa Concordia will present a substantive challenge to the salvors. As the largely submerged ship "works with the motion of the sea" will be at risk of fracturing the hull and tanks holding bunker oil. This will add to the risk of environmental damage and put pressure on the salvors to undertake the task as expeditiously as possible.

5.34pm:

It will probably be many weeks before an accurate assessment can be made about the environmental impact of this particular incident off the coast of Italy. A lot seems to be riding on the weather and the state of the ship below the waterline. Mercifully, such groundings are extremely rare, but one can only hope that the industry learns all the lessons and, as a result, makes any similar events even less likely to occur in the future.

The quite separate question about the environmental impact of the global cruise industry remains very much open, to my mind. The industry says it is working hard to improve its environmental "performance", but, as I have witnessed myself, it is clear there are still problems and much room for improvement. The MARPOL convention doesn't go far enough and the variability in rules around the world means there is little consistency in the observation of standards. Added to this is the trend to build ever larger cruise ships which are having an increasingly disproportionate impact on the often pristine marine habitats that they prefer to visit.

Some destinations, frustrated by the lack of any meaningful adoption of higher standards or the implication of tougher regulation, have started to take matters into their own hands. Alaska, for example, has seen attempts over the years to introduce a passenger tax on cruise ships arriving in its waters. But such efforts are often met with fierce resistance by the powerful cruise industry, as Politico points out below the line.

And I very much agree with Politico's opening point, too:

The cruise ship sector enjoys the benefits of the ecosystem services provided by coral reefs such as protected beaches and snorkelling attractions, but doesn't seem prepared to put anything back into protecting them in the face of growing demand and environmental pressures including from their own ships.

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